SeaFoam

I have two boats. The one in the picture is my littleboat that I use on both the big lake, small or rivers. It's set up for all of the above. It's easy to maneuver when I park at my house in an attached garage. My second boat is a 2102 Trophy when I want to fish in a little rougher water on the big lake. I've equipped both with Auto pilots, gps fish finders, fishawks etc. The smaller boat has manual DRs. I enjoy them both. The smaller boat is great when I'm jigging the Detroit River in the spring or other smaller body's for walleyes or steelhead such as Grand River and Muskegon lake.


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Glad you made it thru safely. You see all kinds on the lake!


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Grandson gave me a hand with the fish.


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2/4 gorgeous morning. Just a ripple on the lake.

1. 6:40 am 8.5 lb King, high diver back 200 ft, 113 fow, moonshine green jeans

2. 7:05 am, lost it after a minute or two, 112 fow, high diver back 205 ft, Happy meal spoon

3. 7:45 am, lost it at the net after 15 minute fight, 115 fow, rigger down 86 ft, Kevin’s GF SD, pickled sunshine fly

4. 8:30 am, 13 lb king, 110 fow, diver out 205 ft, happy meal spoon

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Agree with the leader recommendation - all my dipsey leaders are 25lb test.  Secondly, set the drags as light as possible where they spool out a bit of line when you make a turn.  If the water is choppy, try adding an Off Shore #8 (small red clip without the pin in the center) to the base of your rod.  I am not at the boat to send a pic so I will do my best to describe it here.  Put the large split ring that comes in the package through the back of the last hole of the OR8 clip.  Tie the split ring to the base of the rod with fishing line (I use 40lb test).  Wrap tape over the line (electrical tape will do) leaving the split ring free to wobble so the clip does not slide up and down the rod.  Once the dipsey line is deployed and the drag is set, clip the line into the OR8 clip.  It will not hold that much (works better on a wire dipsey versus a superline dipsey) but will help keeping the line for creeping out of the reel.  This has limits.  If your running 3.0mph or in 2' waves, this suggestion will probably not hold the line.  An OR1 clip might hold better but it is bigger and personally I don't like it flopping around the rod (they are great for downrigger ball releases).  OR8 clips can be ordered on line.  I recommend going to the Off Shore website and getting familiar with the clips and and how they are named before ordering so you purchase the right item.  I recommend not buying the knock offs - yes they are much cheaper but some of these just do not hold onto the line very well.
Also, when using no-stretch lines and the fish are big, I now run a snubber after the dipsey and 25# fluoro leaders for spoons and 30# mono for dodger/fly presentations.  A clear Dreamweaver Ripcord 12" snubber is my personal preference.  Fished for ~30 years w/o running a snubber but after losing a bunch of gear fishing bigger fish with wire divers and the heavy weight dipseys the last couple of years (the mag dipseys are getting pricey!), I added snubbers to my program.

Maybe bump up to 25 lb leader.   I run 40lb braid and 30 lb leader.

Slow for us too (2 in the boat).  Went 2-3.  What lb test are you running at the divers?

1/2 , Quick solo trip this morning. Lake flat.

1. 7:05 am , 6.5 lb King, rigger down 85 ft, 125 fow, wonderbread SD and spoon

2. 8:30 am, Miss, 113 fow, big fish slammed a clean wonderbread spoon. High diver back 200 ft. Proceeded to break off my line at the diver.

Beautiful morning.

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Nice catch Seafoam. Got to get them before the weather turns on us again.

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I was out solo yesterday as well. Fished 90-150 fow. 3 for 3. 
 

1. 11 lb Steelhead, 110 fow, 10 color, Mongolian beef. 
 

2. 7 lb lake trout, 125 fow, rigger down 110 ft, Kevin’s GF SD, pickled sunshine fly

3. 7 lb Steelhead, 100 fow, 10 color, Mongolian beef again

i didn’t find the kings but it sure was beautiful out there. 

I think the big ones are all in your boat!


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I’ve had a couple of poor outings too. I see some great reports but I haven’t joined in lately after a great month of June. 

Wow. Nice fish.


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Happy 4th. Nice outing.


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Boom. Great job!


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Nice fish!


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Great report. I appreciate you , copilot, Dan, little boat, and all reports. I am new to this type of fishing and I learn something with every report!


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3/8 today out of Holland,solo
 
1- king, 9#-9oz, (7:24am), RV blue jeans mag, 300 cu, W trl, 2.2 sog, 128 fow.
 
2-king, 13#-9oz, (8:19am), RV blue jeans mag , 300 cu, S trl, 2.4 sog, 115 fow.
 
3-laker, 4#-7.5oz, (7:48am), Happe meal mag, rigger, bk70, sog2.6, S trl, ball temp 46.7, dwn 76, 116fow.
 
1 miss on rigger with bloody nose mag.
 
3 misses on rigger with flounder pdr mag.
 
1 miss on deep diver with RV happe meal.
 
lake was flat no wind, fished 90-145fow.

 
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Solo trip, lines in 6:15 am- 11:15 am,

1-2

1. 7:15 am, 9 lb king, 128 fow, downrigger down 100 ft, monkey puke spoon

2. 10:00 am, steelhead, did a dance at the boat and came unbuttoned, 140 fow, downrigger down 55 ft, monkey puke again

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1-1, Lines in at 6am in 100 fow. Trolled SW.

7:15 am, 13 lb King, Rigger down 85 ft with mag moonshine blue jeans in 165 fow. 2.4 SOG.

Autopilot shut off unexpectedly at 8:30 am and I quickly tangled my lines. What fun. I called it day.

[attachment=8325:IMG_5943.

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Nice King!  Thanks for the report. I might get out tomorrow. 

Solo run, 1/1, 6.5 lb king, SWR down 100 ft, 130 fow, Kevin’s Girlfriend SD, pickled sunshine fly. 7:30 am then nothing. Called it at 9:30 am.

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Thanks for the report.  Plan on getting out Sunday and hopefully Monday.  Fin Warrior has been tied up way too long.

Solo run. 1-1, 11 lb king, full core, blue dolphin, 110 fow. 2.2 sog, southwest troll. Flat lake. Beautiful morning.

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Great solo trip. I run solo a lot and enjoy the challenge as well. It kind of stinks not to have someone else to blame though.